RICE MILLING PROCESS

Rice milling is a gigantic industry in Pakistan. Rice milling industry does not only mill rice. It also carries out many other essential functions, such as procurement, parboiling, drying, storage, quality control, utilisation of by-products, etc.
This milling is accomplished by a large number of systems from very small to very large scale. Some of these requires ultramodern imported/indigenous machines based on intricate scientific principles.

Process

PADDY PROCESSING

The quest to market best basmati begins with seed selection. Each year carefully selected healthy and pure seeds are distributed among farmers by Barkat Rice Mills freeof- cost. Throughout the season, an adequate network remains in place to interact with farmers from seedling to harvesting stage. Experts from Barkat rice visit farmers to assist them in preparation of soil, use of fertilizers, pest control techniques and crop care.

Selection of paddy is a process where a rice mill needs to devote most of its energies, expertise and time. Quality of final product largely depends upon the paddy procured. Many rice mills avoid to indulge in such a laborious process and purchase semi-processed rice from brokers instead of paddy from farmers. Unfortunately, this cannot be done without compromising on quality.

Ali Corporation has a different strategy though. Paddy is purchased at the beginning of rice season that effectively eliminates all chances of mixing of inferior varieties. This is so because paddy of different varieties of rice matures at different times and cannot be mixed with each other. On the other hand semi-processed rice available with brokers during rest of the year remains prone to mixing that is often hard to detect.

PRE-ClEANER

First stage consists of several steps for cleaning of rice to ensure hygienic end-product absolutely free from all foreign materials like straw, mud balls, threads, stones, paddy etc. It is further ensured that once cleaned rice is not contaminated during processing. All the machines, conveyers, bins and hoppers are equipped with a generously sized aspiration system which keeps the entire building dust-free. All the machines, conveyers, bins and hoppers are equipped with a generously sized aspiration system; keeping the entire building dust-free.

Dryers /De-husking

Paddy Dryers: Paddy is uniformly dried and processed through dryer to reduce moisture content and then stored in warehouses for maturing. This basmati paddy is then used to manufacture either Raw Basmati or Par boiled Basmati.

De-husking: A fully automatic rubber roll control system which presents to rice millers the most effective and economical means of automatic rice hulling operation.

PADDY SEPARATORS

Paddy separators: The rice after hulling process still contains about 10-15% of paddy kernels. Once the rice mixed with 10-15% paddy is fed onto the separating trays.
It is given special sideway motions as it rolls down towards the lower front end of the separating trays.
This separates the rice from the paddy kernels.

POLISHERS:

In second stage the bran layers are removed through whitening and polishing machines to give rice a pearl white look.

This process is carried out gradually in several passes to save kernels from breaking. Number of passes depends upon the degree of whiteness required. The mist polishers installed at Ali Corporation impart an extremely clean and glossy appearance to the kernels of rice; a distinct advantage over traditional milling methods.

GRADING AND SORTEXES

Rice is graded at different stages on the basis of thickness and length to remove malnourished, shriveled and broken grains from healthy pure and full grains.

Advanced technology from Buhler in Drum Grader, Plansifter and Indented Cylinders employed at three different stages achieves optimum and uniform grain length.

 

FINAL INSPECTION & PACKAGING

Ali Corporation has installed modern computerized bagging scales to ensure high degree of accuracy in weighing.

Each and every bag shipped weighs precisely the same. The equipment is capable of packaging different sizes ranging from 0.5 Kg to 100Kg.

Several types of packaging materials are used as per customer demands. This includes:-

• Cardboard
• Paper-sack
• Polypropylene
• Polythene
• Cotton
• Jute